The Phantom and His Siren
by Lady Reader04
Summary: Annabelle is an eighteen-year-old young woman who is visiting her uncle Andre at the Palais Garnier. She has big dreams of being Europe's most famous Actress but her fear of singing holds her back. While contemplating what to do, she hears a voice from above saying that they can help her achieve her goal. But nothing comes without a price, and her price is almost deadly.
1. The Train Ride

_**This is my first story I've written in a long time, so I could really use some advice... I hope you enjoy the story because I have a bit more coming! =w=**_

Annabelle couldn't believe she was going to visit an Opera House; in Paris of all places! The capital of Europe! She was so surprised when Nanna reluctantly agreed to let her visit Uncle Andre, especially since he was boasting about the opera house he was purchasing. It had been so long since she had seen him, and longer still since she had seen an opera house. Annabelle thought about how her Mother would be so proud of her for having the courage to come.

She shook her head and was released from the sadness the thought of it brought her. She was determined to not be sad, this was a vacation from Canterbury. Annabelle knew that if Nanna ever heard that she was sad on the journey, she would never be able to come again. Glancing around the train, she saw a few families and business men with small top hats and stiff shirt collars. She never knew how men were able to wear such stiff clothing and still continue to wear them everyday. Then again, she didn't know how Nanna expected her to wear square collar dresses. She shuddered at that thought.

After a few minutes, the train came to a stop and Annabelle stood up grabbing her travel bag and her suitcase. She received a few stares because it wasn't "proper" for a lady to be travelling by herself, but Annabelle didn't like being the most proper. Nanna would always chastise her saying if a lady isn't proper, than a lady isn't a lady. Annabelle didn't always agree with Nanna, but she loved Nanna nonetheless.

Annabelle stepped onto the platform looking around for a familiar face. Upon seeing none, she calmly walked to a bench and pulled out her Les Misérables book. Victor Hugo had a way of enchanting the reader into the heartbreaking tale, and it made her love the story even more. Annabelle was glad that French was her first language, as it made reading the novel much easier. She could relate to the hardships that were going on, she also had some hardships in her life. What with mother dying and father being sent away… No! She resisted the urge to shout and instead gripped her book tighter. Annabelle knew she would start crying if she thought about her past too much, so instead she read with more intensity, to escape those thoughts.

It felt like hours later, when a soft spoken voice broke the trance that she went into every time she read a book.

"Excuse me, ma'am, Are you the niece of Mr. Andre?"

Annabelle jumped at the unexpected question and dropped her book face up on the ground. She bends down to grab her now dusty novel, blushing from embarrassment.

She replied softly,"Y-yes, that is me. Sorry I didn't see you…"

"That's alright, I am sorry for disturbing you. You looked like you were very concentrated with you're literature."

She smiled and nodded in agreement. "Reading a novel from in its home country helps you know what it may be like there," Annabelle replied as she stood to shake the man's hand.

"Quite so, I'm Rémy by the way. I'm the secretary to Mr. Richard; your uncle's partner."

She looked at the man that stood before her. He was a thin-looking man and he looked very presentable with his buttoned up coat and his combed hair. He seemed like the kind of person who was level-headed and willing to put his foot down, while still being able to take orders from a higher authority. A perfect person to have as a secretary Annabelle thought.

After the quick introduction, they left the station and he got a carriage for the both of them. They sat in silence with some conversation, but mostly sat a little bit awkwardly. After about half an hour later, they arrived at the Opera house. Annabelle hadn't visited an opera house in a quite a long time, and the sight was a shock to her. She felt so small as the stone and iron building loomed over her, with the golden statues looking down upon her in what she thought was slight disdain.

She shook the thought from her head. She would show those silly statues that she could live up to their expectations. She would show all of France that she could become the most beautiful and famous actress that they have ever seen!

"But first," She said softly, "I need to show Uncle Andre that I am capable of being in his show." She walked up the stairs and paused just for going into the door. She had a feeling that if she continued onward, her fate would be set. She took one last deep breath and pushed open the doors, unaware of how much her life would change over one visit.


	2. Meeting Mr Firmin

_**This next chapter is almost double the word count of the last chapter... I'm sorry! I may have gotten a little carried away... =m= Hope you enjoy anyways!**_

Annabelle hadn't even taken five steps when she accidentally bumped into someone. "I-I'm so sorry! I-" She was on the verge of her apology when she was interrupted by a familiar smile.

"Why would a beautiful empress need to apologize for bumping into a poor fellow such as I?"

It was her charming uncle Andre! He hadn't changed very much since she last saw him. For example, he still had his english mustache, however, it was more bushy now, and he was still taller than her, but only by about 6 centimeters. She knew it wasn't proper but she dropped her luggage and practically threw herself into her uncle's embrace. He then began to spin her around, as if she was a small child.

"You have grown so much my dear!" He embraced her like he hadn't seen her in years, which was true. He hadn't realised how much he missed his little empress, although she looked more like a real empress now. He placed her in more or less the same he stole her from, and gave her a delighted smile. "It truly is wonderful to see you my dear, Annabelle,"

"As for you Uncle!" Annabelle replied out of breath, she then started blushing. "You shouldn't do that in public!" She muttered, "I looked like a little school girl!" He chuckled while grabbing her suitcase, leading her to his new office.

"That's not even the worse part uncle! Since I'm an adult, people might think that we could be _courting_!" She hissed the last part giving him a stern look. Mr. Andre almost dropped the suitcase from the barrage of laughter that was escaping him. Annabelle tried her hardest to keep a straight face, but she couldn't hold in her giggles forever.

"What's so funny?" She demanded looking up at him with an amused smile. It took her uncle several tries to calm himself, but eventually he managed to hold his chortling.

"First of all, I would be the luckiest man alive if I was courting a lady half as beautiful as you," This earned more blushing from Annabelle. "Second of all, if Nanna heard that you were courting somebody without her permission..." There was a moment of silence, for they both knew neither would hear the end of it if Annabelle even fancied a man. The silence, however, could not last. As soon as Annabelle and and Andre meet eyes, neither could hold back their laughter any longer.

"She would be very cross with both of us!" Annabelle was laughing so hard, she could barely breathe, Andre, however, managed to gather his composure. They had finally reached his office and Annabelle managed to calm herself down. "Your office looks nice," she then kicked some crumpled up papers. She bent down to pick up one and flattened it up on the desk. "A… music sheet?" She then gave a questioning glance to her uncle, he sighed and shook his with annoyance.

"That would be from my partner, Mr. Richard… He is a fan of the arts and music. He knows loads more about the theater than I do. I guess you could say that I'm the businessman and he is the knowledge of the partnership… I wonder where he is?"

At this precise moment, a large man walked into the room with Rémy at his heels. Annabelle had not seen a man who reminded her of a giant. He was a little over two meters tall, and was a little on the hefty side. Nevertheless, he still had an air of importance around him. Annabelle gave a small wave to Rémy, who replied with a small smile and a nod. The man went around Annabelle and uncle Andre without giving them a second glance. It wasn't until he finally sat down with a sigh that he acknowledged them both of them standing to his right. "Andre! Who is this fine young lady with you?" the man spoke with a low voice with a hint of amusement.

"Ah yes… Firmin, this is my niece, Annabelle," he beckoned for her and she stepped forward with a slight curtsey. "It is a pleasure to meet you, sir," she looked down as she curtsied. Mr. Richard nodded and said, "I'm glad that you have some manners," he scowled, "When I was visiting the chorus and ballet girls it was like talking to a toddler. Some of them were so far gone that they were giggling non-stop!" He looked extremely irritated at the memory, but he quickly hid behind his 'fake french smile'.

Annabelle suddenly remembered a memory from her youth when she asked her mother why everyone was always wearing a happy and smiling. Her mother responded with, "Sometimes these people smile because they are happy, but sometimes they smile because they want others to _think_ that they are happy when they are not." She never really understood what her mother meant by that, but followed her advice to always keep smiling even when she felt like the world was crashing down.

Wanting to go be alone, she quickly came up with a plan so she 'socialize a bit'. She smiled sweetly and asked, "May I converse with some of the ballet girls Uncle? Perhaps we could learn something from each other?" She then realized how bad this sounded and tried again. "I-I mean, I could learn how to dance and sing from them and they could learn how to be more serious and polite toward their new managers?" She knew from experience, for most people, when you make a suggestion that not only benefits you but also benefits them, they are more likely to agree with said suggestion.

Mr. Firmin stroked his beard, thinking about her offer. Uncle Andre _did_ want Annabelle to make some acquaintances, but he didn't want her to socialize with the wrong group. Mr. Firmin then shrugged, "It's fine by me. Let her teach them how to act like a proper lady, perhaps they can be taught!" He then laughed at his own joke, Rémy and Andre laughed along with him and Annabelle mimicked the way she chuckled so as not to be left out. After Mr. Firmin had calmed down, Uncle Andre turned to her, "You have my permission, however if you catch any of those bad habits-" He leaned in to emphasize his seriousness, "Neither of us will be able to look Nanna in her eyes again…" He smiled and she returned it, suppressing her giggles.

She thanked her uncle by giving him a small hug, said her goodbyes to Mr. Firmin and nodded toward Rémy. As soon as she left, Andre breathed a small sigh of relief. Firmin turned to Andre with a jesting smile, "You can't expect me to believe a girl like that is your niece!" Andre let out a bitter chuckle, "Sometimes I can't believe it either," he turned to his fellow manager, "I worry for her in this opera house, even though we don't know everything about this building or the staff, I have a feeling that this place is no place for a girl like her..."

He sat down on an empty chair and motioned for Rémy to fetch him a drink. Firmin had never seen his colleague, even on his worst days. He paused to collect his thoughts, "Why are you so worried for her? I have no children, but even I can see she is mature enough to make good decisions…" This received some somber laughter, "It's not about her maturity I'm worried about, I'm worried about how others will react to her. She didn't have a good experience with romance, especially marriage, and I'm worried about how the gentlemen will take a fancy to her. Mark my words, there will be many who will come to the opera house just to catch a glimpse of her…" The rest of his sentence trialed off and he buried his face in his hands

Richard had to agree that she was a gem in beauty, and it wouldn't be the worst thing if they gained some popularity from her. However, there was still one thing he was confused about, "What do you mean 'She _didn't _have a good experience with romance'?" He had an idea of what the answer would be, but the answer he received was a lot grimmer. Andre lifted his head up, with a very somber look on his face, "When Annabelle was about eight years old, her mother was killed by the man who should've always protected them both… her father."


	3. Meeting the Ladies

_**I'm so sorry that this took so long! I was really busy with school and I wanted to get an idea on how the characters looked before I started writing this chapter! =m= Either way, hopefully you enjoy! Stay tuned because we'll get to meet the Phantom really soon... =w=**_

Annabelle was overjoyed that she got permission to meet some of the ballet and chorus girls. She loved Uncle Andre with all her heart, but sometimes a lady needed to spend her time with other ladies. She went down a few hallways, memorizing how to get back to the entrance in case things went awry with the girls. She heard the giggles like Mr. Firmin mentioned, but there among the chaos, she also heard some voices trying to bring back order.

"G-girls, we need to be quiet… Sorrelli needs to practice her speech…" The voice was quiet, but it was full of confidence.

"YEAH! We need to help Sorrelli give the best speech in the history of speeches!" this one sounded a lot younger, and was bursting with excitement.

"Little Jammes and Meg are right, we should let her rehearse her speech at least one more time…" the last voice was very gentle, and reminded her of how her mother used to sound. She remembered when her mother used to tuck her into bed, her voice so mellow that it didn't take too much to put her to sleep. Recalling the memory of her mother, she choked back a sob. Suddenly the room inside went quiet, and Annabelle wondered if they had heard her.

"Is-is someone out there?" Annabelle believed that this came from the first girl that spoke, was that Jammes or Meg? She heard footsteps coming towards the door and backed away suddenly so as not to appear that she was eavesdropping on the conversation, even though she was.

She braced herself for an angry chorus girl to barge open the door, so she was surprised to see a beautiful woman with hair the color of fire, open the door very calmly. She looked to be between five years to three years older than her, and had the palest blue eyes she had ever seen! She believed that they were similar to the color of French hydrangeas, perhaps a few shades lighter.

"Hello, my name is Sorrelli… Ms. Sorrelli, what's your name Miss?" She didn't recognize the voice from any of the previous speakers, so she wondered why this lady was selected to open the door. Annabelle was so absorbed in her thoughts that she forgot to introduce herself. "...O-oh, me?" Annabelle said with somewhat startled look on her face. She managed to compose herself with minimal embarrased blushing, "I'm sorry, where are my manners? I'm Miss Annabelle, the niece of Mr. Andre." "The new assistant manager? I don't think we've met him yet…" Annabelle winced internally when Ms. Sorrelli called her uncle the 'assistant manager', however she knew that was technically his role in the opera house.

"That's my Uncle Andre," she replied with a smile. She realized that she should state why she was visiting them before they accidentally came to the conclusion that she was going to be a snitch for her uncle. "Anyways, I got permission from Uncle Andre to explore and I wanted to make some new acquaintances," She grinned sheepishly at the last part. Annabelle waited to see how Ms. Sorrelli would react to her silly comment. Ms. Sorrelli, however, seemed delighted. She had a hunch Annabelle just wanted to have a friend, and invited her inside.

"Everyone," Sorrelli managed to gather everyone's attention just by the sound of her voice. Annabelle guessed that she was considered to be a leader among the chorus and ballet girls. "This is Miss Annabelle, she is the niece to Mr. Andre so I want you to treat her with the utmost respect…" Annabelle blushed, she wasn't expecting to be so welcomed when no one knew her, perhaps she would be accepted here after all?

A young girl who was about three years younger than her came running up, dragging a girl who was about Annabelle's age with her. The young girl had short, fluffy hair, and eyes the size of the sun. The other girl had long, black hair that was tied up in a hair bun. She looked very hesitant to greet a stranger, but she seemed like she wanted to keep an eye on the smaller girl.

The young girl stopped in front of Annabelle with a screeching halt, "Hello! I'm Cécile Jammes and this is Meg Giry!" Cécile seemed very excited to meet someone new. Meg on the other hand looked very nervous, but she muttered a quick greeting. Annabelle smiled at both of them and felt very content knowing that people wanted to treat her well.

Suddenly she heard the gentle voice that reminded of her late mothers' voice, "Excuse me, are you new here?" The woman looked to be about the same age as Ms. Sorrelli, but not much younger either. She had long, thick, brown hair, and her eyes were full of gentleness and understanding. The woman reminded her of her mother so much, it took all her strength not to run into her arms and sobbing uncontrollably.

"My name is Christine Daae, you however, may call me Christine," she smiled warmly at Annabelle who was chanting inside her head over and over, 'This is not mother, this is not mother, THIS IS NOT MOTHER!'. "Chr-Christine? That's a lovely name…" She managed to wear a grin to hide her eternal affliction. "Thank you Annabelle," she took both of Annabelle's hands, which made the chanting in her head increase in volume, "You are welcome to come visit us any time you please, and if you ever need anyone to talk to I am always here for you…"

Annabelle was overwhelmed by the love of these girls, she didn't know if they were truly kind or only following the orders of Sorrelli. Either way, she knew she would cherish her time with these ladies. "Th-thank you Christine…" She muttered as she wiped some stray tears from her eyes. Jammes noticed her tears and she quickly came up with an idea to cheer her up. "Do you like kitties Ms. Annabelle?" Jammes smiled slyly at Annabelle. She smiled at Jammes and nodded. "I've got a whole clowder of kitties down here, but you can't tell anyone…" She looked so serious that Annabelle just burst out in laughter and held up her right hand, "I promise I won't tell a soul!"

However, just as they were about to leave, the assistant manager came bursting through the door looking very distressed. Some of the ladies screamed at having their privacy invaded but Sorrelli quickly took charge of the situation. "What's going on?" she asked, being concerned about the man's state of being. His eyes where looking everywhere as if they were hunting for something, his hands kept clenching and unclenching, and he shook like a scared puppy. He finally managed to speak what was on his mind, "Mr. Buquet is missing, and the farewell party is tomorrow!"


	4. Finding Mr Buquet

_**Hello everybody! I feel sooooo accomplished for FINALLY putting the Phantom in the story, I'm pretty satisfied with how I put him in there. I didn't have the heart to kill Mr. Buquet, but I do have a person who I want to die a peaceful and painless death coming up in the future (I don't know when, because I thought that the Phantom would appear in chapter 3, but that obviously didn't happen... =.=') Anyways, thanks to PurplePencilWriter for leaving such awesome comments on my stories! Y'all should check them out, they are really amazing! Have a great day! =w=**_

It took a couple seconds for what the assistant manager said to sink in, but when it did, Annabelle had never seen such chaos. There was screaming, Sorreli was trying to calm everybody girls shoving past each other to talk to the man, and the assistant manager who was resisting the urge to pass out. Annabelle instinctively backed away, clutching Cécile who was shaking like a small puppy. Somehow, Meg managed to get on top of a chair, and yelled at the top of her lungs, "QUIET!" Everyone was stunned into silence, perhaps even Meg herself. "We-... We need to calm down, I'm sure he is fine."

Sorrelli decided to take charge of the situation, now that everyone had gotten quiet, "Meg's right… I'm sure he is ok, but if we need to we will go look for him-" She was cut off by a suddenly excited Cécile who burst out of Annabelle's arms. "WE CAN FORM A SEARCH PARTY FOR HIM!" Cécile seemed to have gotten back her spark, and wanted to spread it too all the other girls. The dressing room, which had been filled with nervous whispering, was now filled with elated cries as everyone felt they warm glow of hope spreading to each young lady.

Annabelle wanted to be of assistance to them and said firmly, "I agree with Cécile, perhaps if we all work together, we will find Mr. Buquet and finalize plans for tomorrow's farewell party!" This recieved many cheers from the ballet girls and Cécile gave her the biggest hug she could. Sorrelli and Christine gave her a thankful nod, while Meg was still recovering from her sudden outburst to calm the chaos that had transpired. They had decided on groups of two girls would search around the opera house, and would meet back at the dressing room after they finished searching their assigned places.

Cécile had volunteered to go with Annabelle, which made her truly grateful. They made their way out of the dressing room and back behind the stage. They called and called for Mr. Buquet, but couldn't hear or see him. Cécile suggested that the search underneath the stage, and Annabelle agreed saying that perhaps he had wanted to make sure that nothing would fall through during the next performance. They brought two lanterns with them, for it was terribly dark down where they exploring. Cécile said that she had only visited this place a few times when she was searching for her cats.

After a while Cécile thought she heard one of her cats and rushed towards it leaving Annabelle behind. "Wait for me Cécile!" Annabelle ran to catch up with her but quickly got left behind. She studied her surroundings only to find that she had gotten herself lost, "Oh now what am I going to do?... I'm lost in this dark… and… unknown… wasteland…" She was getting very frightened, her lantern shining looming shadows on the walls, not to mention the constant dripping of water and abundance of rats. She didn't think of rats as the 'nasty little vermin' that Nanna thought they were, but as small, helpless creatures that were frowned upon for reasons they could not help.

Realising how much she missed Nanna, she dropped to the dusty floor and started sobbing into her the hem of her dress. She didn't know how long she was there, to her it felt like ages, but she finally got a hold of herself and stood defiantly. "No…" she muttered quietly, "I will not sit here and wait to be rescued like a damsel from a folk tale, I will take action into my own hands!" She wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. She wondered if anyone could hear her, and if no one was there…

She shook her head, "No! I promised Nanna I wouldn't!", she stopped and listened to the eerie silence of the catacombs she felt she was in. "I-..." She mumbled faintly, "If I am to get out of here, I need to be level headed, and if I am to be level headed…" She took a deep breath in, "I need to sing to calm my nerves," she looked around one last time to make sure that no one was in earshot, then she opened her mouth and began to sing.

Joseph knew that his life was ending, he felt it in his heart that eventually he would run out of energy and that… _thing_ would have him. He heard the cackling of the man, no not a man, the _Phantom._ Why oh why didn't he listen to the others? Why did he scoff at their tales of the creature of darkness, the bane of light? He knew he shouldn't have been so curious to have gone under the stage and into the secret tunnels under the opera house. If he got out of here… He almost paused from his running, 'if'... He knew there wouldn't be an if, because he was going to die at the hands of the Phantom of the Opera.

At this exact moment, he tripped over a stone and came tumbling to a stop. Scratched and bruised, Joseph tried to get up, but the Phantom swooped down and stood menacingly over him. "**Your time is done, Joseph Buquet!**" the Phantom's voice was sharper than a knife and much deadlier too. The Phantom walked forward leisurely, knowing his victim didn't have the strength to run, or a plan to escape. "**You should have stayed away, I gave you all many warnings against trying to seek me out…**" He had pulled out a rope from his coat, a little less than two yards in length. Joseph recognized it as a piece of the rope they used to lift the curtains, then a chilling realization struck him.

The Phantom laughed cruelly, "**I see you recognize this**," he waved the rope in front of Joseph's face, "**Good thing too, since it is the last thing you will ever see! NO ONE CAN SEE THE PHANTOM AND LIVE!**," He then tightened the rope and started to strangle Joseph, cutting off his supply of air. Joseph struggled, and tried to pull the rope away from his neck, with no avail. The Phantom laughed once more, "**Don't even try to escape, in about a minute you will be dead, and Joseph Buquet will be no more!**"

While this was happening, Annabelle was singing one of her mother's favorite songs, "La Vie en Rose". Singing the melody reminded her of her mother, and she let out all her sadness and grief into her song. The Phantom heard the beautiful melody, and stopped to listen to it. He needn't have, for the whole passageway was filled with the singing. "This song is filled with pain, sorrow, and yet… " He let his hands drop, momentarily forgetting his task, "They sing like an angel…" He was so entranced by the solo that he didn't notice Joseph regaining consciousness.

Joseph knew that as soon as the singing was over he would be killed by the Phantom, he needed to wait for the perfect moment to get the vocalist's attention so that he could be saved. The Phantom however, had his mind on other things, his mind was racing thinking about how lovely the voice was, how if only he could meet the vocalist and become their mentor, to teach them how to use their voice of theirs to its full potential.

Annabelle was not to faraway when she had finished her solo with a passionately, "Et, dès que je l'aperçois alors je sens en moi mon coeur qui bat (translated: As soon as I notice him, I feel inside me, my heart beating). She felt much better, singing always helped her feel better, especially when she was feeling sorrowful. "Magnifique…" The Phantom practically breathed the word, and Joseph knew that this was his chance to be saved. "HELP ME!" He managed to get out one phrase that he knew would get the maiden's attention.

Annabelle was mortified that someone had heard her sing, but they sounded like they _really_ needed someone to help them. Upon hearing Joseph's cry for help, she yelled, "Hello?! Are you okay?," and ran towards the sound as fast as she could. The Phantom realized that he couldn't finish his task and deal with this new person, so he grabbed his rope, and hissed, "**I hope you've learned your lesson, Joseph Buquet**," and left with a wave of his cape. Joseph collapsed on the ground shaking from seeing death to its face.

Annabelle rushed over seeing a man shaking and gasping on the ground. The Phantom was hidden from their view. He was fuming because he wanted to be rid of the pest that was Joseph Buquet… "Who dares defy the Phantom of the-," he inhaled sharply. Annabelle, who was comforting the man, was in full view of the Phantom. His mouth gaped open from the sheer shock of seeing Joseph's rescuer. She was humming the chorus of the song she just sang, and not only did it calm her nerves, it seemed to calm the man as well. His breathing slowed down, and he closed his eyes contentedly.

The Phantom was in shock, he whispered to himself, "This maiden is not only beautiful, she has an enchanting voice as well! She is truly wonderful…" he was slowly slipping into infatuation for her, then he shook his head growling, "Snap out of it! You are already devoted to Christine!" He then looked back at the lovely maiden, "Christine's beauty is nothing compared to her…" He sighed sadly and left Annabelle to take care of the nearly strangled Joseph, longing to be with the young maiden but knowing that she could never fall for a hideous creature of darkness such as him.

After the man had calmed down, she made sure he was okay, "I'm sorry I didn't ask you your name sooner, but I wanted you to be calm before I asked you any questions…" "That's alright m'lady," he responded quietly, "I'm just glad that you came to help me, I was afraid I was done for…" She nodded, "Do you know who tried to kill you?" He froze and she realized he might go into a panic attack if she didn't say something quick,

"A-actually, what I really want to know is who you are…" She hummed some more wanting to calm him down, and after a few minutes he responded quietly, "I'm Joseph Buquet, the stage manager, at your assistance," She started laughing leaving him very confused, she answered his questioning look with, "I'm sorry for laughing, but I was actually sent out to look for you Mr. Buquet!"


	5. Angel of Music

It took them a couple minutes to get back to the surface, but Annabelle managed to get Mr. Buquet out at about the same area she went down in. He seemed eternally relieved to be out of the endless darkness, however he was quickly swarmed by the worried group of ballet girls and the assistant stage manager. Annabelle was lost in the swarm of girls and quickly searched for a familiar face while she was slowly sinking in her sea of chaos. Before she could panic however, someone grabbed her arm and pulled her out.

She yelped at suddenly being dragged away, but was soon surrounded by Ms. Sorrelli, Cécile, Meg, and Christine Daae. She sighed in relief and was bombarded with questions about how she found Mr. Buquet, and where was she during the half an hour of searching for him. She explained the best she could that she was underneath the stage with Cécile when she got seperated and found him while she was searching the hidden hallways for him.

After she told them her story, Ms. Sorrelli turned to Cécile and started to chastise her, "You know better than to go underneath the stage like that! You should not have left Ms. Annabelle by herself, she just got here today and already almost got lost in the Opera House…" Cécile looked to be on the verge of tears, "I'm truly sorry Annabelle!" she gave her a hug around her midsection, "I heard one of my cats nearby and went to go check on it, but when I went back to you, to tell you that she had just gotten some kittens, you were gone!" She sobbed into Annabelle's dress while Annabelle hugged her tightly, trying to comfort her.

"It's ok Cécile, I'm fine now… It is actually a good thing that I got lost, because if I hadn't I wouldn't have been able to save Mr. Buquet-" she stopped herself from saying much more and tried to change the topic, "A-anyways Mr. Buquet is back and-..." "What do you mean, 'save Mr. Buquet?'" Christine asked very concerned. All eyes were on her, and she realised there was no going back now, "When I was looking for Mr. Buquet, I heard him yell for help like he was on the verge of death. However when I got to his side, he was alone with only rope marks around his neck," The group of girls gasped in unison, petrified with fear and paler than a ghost.

Annabelle didn't know why they were so concerned, but Mr. Buquet did just almost die, so maybe that's why they were so scared. "Are you alright?" she asked confused looking at their terrified expressions, "D-do you think it could be?-" Cécile hissed worriedly. "M-m-maybe… but we mustn't speak of… _it..._" Meg was shivering so much, she looked like she would faint. Ms. Sorrelli and Christine were very pale, but they wanted to stay strong for the younger girls, "I-I'm sure he will be fine, w-we must focus on getting the farewell party planned…" Ms. Sorrelli then turned to Annabelle, "Would you mind not telling your uncle about this, at least not until after the party. We don't want Mr. Debienne and Mr. Poligny to be worried about this on their last day…"

Annabelle wasn't entirely sure if she wanted to make such a strange promise, but looking at all of their faces she knew she had to try, "I promise not to tell him as long as no one else brings it up," She held up her right hand while she made her promise, and it seemed to calm the girls down a bit. She hated making such a promise when someone had almost been killed, but she knew they would appreciate her much more if she held her tongue.

They were thanking her when Christine suddenly remembered something important, "I almost forgot! I need to… go meet someone about now! I'll be back soon…" She rushed off in such a hurry, that even Annabelle took notice, "Is she alright? She seemed very worried about something," she turned to Ms. Sorrelli looking confused. Sorrelli just sighed and shook her head, "We don't know where she goes, but she comes back the next day…" Annabelle stared off after her, until she turned around a nearby corner and vanished from her view. 'Who could she be going to see?' she thought curiously.

The Opera Ghost was in his hiding place waiting for Christine to come for her lesson, while also contemplating the events from earlier. "I had almost finished off that meddlesome Mr. Buquet, how dare that young lady barge in!… and yet," He sighed wistfully, "I wish I had been able to speak with her if only for a moment, a voice like that comes once a century, perhaps only once a millenia…" He remembered how her eyes shone like sapphires, her hair looking softer than silk, and her smile… he sighed, "Her smile shone brighter than the moon on a cloudless night…"

He realized how silly this all sounded and shook his head, "Nonsense! My heart belongs to Christine and Christine only! I will not be won over by a women with sapphire eyes and… an angel like voice…" He sighed and slumped to the floor, "If only I could be able to meet this young lady, or at the very least teach her to use her wonderful music!" He then came up with an idea, "Perhaps-" Suddenly Christine burst into her dressing room out of breath, "I-I am so- so sorry I'm late Angel! I was busy, with… Some earthly matters," The Phantom Ghost was definitely surprised by Christine's sudden bursting in, normally he would be able to hear her from about 7 yards away. He guessed this was because he was worried about his own "earthly matters", but now he needed to be Christine's angel.

"_What matters now is that you are here, and you are ready for your lesson,_" He wanted to know what Christine meant when she said earthly matters, he guessed it might have something to do with Joseph Buquet, "_We have talked about this Christine, you mustn't let Earthly Matters take control of your mind, or you won't be able to focus entirely on your singing…_" Christine shivered thinking about the events she just heard about, she didn't know how Annabelle could be so calm when she talked about… "_Is your mind still on these, __**Earthly Matters**__ Christine?_" She yelped, "I-I'm sorry Angel, it's just…" She sighed sadly, "_Perhaps, you tell me what is troubling you Christine, then I can relieve you of your Earthly Burdens?_" He congratulated himself for being able to ask Christine about what was troubling her and finding out what she was talking about, 'two birds with one stone' he thought.

"W-well… Earlier the assistant stage manager came and told us that he couldn't find Mr. Buquet, so we searched the whole opera house to look for him. We needed him for the farewell party I told you about… I had finished looking in my assigned area with Meg and Sorelli when we bumped into Cécile who was all by herself. I asked her where Annabelle was and, oh that reminds me. I need to tell you about her…" She looked extremely thoughtful as she remembered the young lady.

She thought Annabelle looked a bit like herself, except her hair was a bit lighter and her eyes were brilliant blue, and much darker than Sorelli's. "The niece of our new assistant managers came for a visit. She reminds me of Cécile and Meg a bit, and she looks similar to me, except she has beautiful blue eyes…" The Opera Ghost shivered, the description reminded him of the girl he saw, but he needed to know for sure if the girl was the same one, "_Go on…_"

Christine continued, "Oh yes, I asked Cécile where Annabelle was, when she suddenly burst into tears repeatedly saying that she had lost her. I comforted her and said she couldn't be too far away, and she was going to reply when Annabelle came with a very disturbed Mr. Buquet. We asked her where she had been and how she found Mr. Buquet, that's when she told us…" She stopped and shivered recalling the memory of Mr. Buquet's face and how calm Annabelle had been when she told them what had happened. Surely she had seen much worse in her life if she could be so calm about this…

"_**What did she say?**_" The Opera Ghost was so eager to hear what this, Annabelle, had to say that he almost forgot that he was supposed to be a soft spoken angel instead of a curious man, "_I am sorry Christine, but I must know what is troubling you, this _is _our last music lesson before tomorrow. Or do you want to disappoint not only your father, but everyone else in this Opera House?_" He knew that the topic of Christine's father would make her do almost anything, but having leverage for simple tasks was also a bonus. "N-no… I'll tell you what she said…"

She explained how Annabelle told their group that she heard Mr. Buquet yell for help, but was alone when she went to see him. "All she saw, was Mr. Buquet gasping on the floor with a rope mark around his next, as if he was nearly strangled to death!" She was so distraught about this that she burst into tears and silently sobbed. The Opera Ghost pondered over this, 'So the beautiful maiden that stopped me was this, Annabelle… Beautiful grace… Such a befitting name for her…' He then noticed that Cristine was crying on the ground, "_Is this what was troubling you Christine?_" She wiped her eyes, "Only partly, it scares me is how calm Annabelle was when she told us about it… and I believe that Mr. Buquet was almost killed by the Phantom!" She hissed the last word with pure unadulterated fear.

'Ah yes, the name by which most of the Opera House knows me,' He thought. "_Christine, what have I told you about phantoms?_" "Th-that phantoms don't exist?" "_Precisely_," he wondered if he should clarify that phantoms don't exist, but _He_ does… Perhaps another day… "_Christine, do you worry for this Annabelle?_" He quickly came up with a plan to not only find out more about the mysterious maiden, but give Christine something else to think about. If he managed to get Christine to keep an eye on _her_… well he would come up with something when it happened.

"I-... I do think that she is a really sweet girl, and Cécile really seemed to enjoy her company…" The Opera Ghost breathed a silent sigh of relief, "_Christine, I am going to give you a task. I want you to become well acquainted with… Annabelle was her name?_" "Y-yes…" "_I want you to get to know this Annabelle girl, and help her adjust to the Opera House life. I remember you when you first came to the Opera House, you were so lost and afraid before I came to guide you on your path to Heavenly Music…_"

Christine nodded, she was extremely lonely before she met her friends, and she became less so when she found out her father sent her the Angel of Music after his death… She didn't want the same thing to happen to Annabelle which was why she always greeted everyone with a smile in hopes that someday she might be able to help somebody from feeling as lonely as she did. She didn't want someone as nice as Annabelle to lose her spark just because she didn't have anyone to converse with…

She stood up and said proudly, "I accept your task Angel, I will treat Annabelle as if she was my sister! I'm sure we will get along brilliantly!" The Opera Ghost smiled, 'I knew she would take the bait!' he thought to himself triumphantly. "_I appreciate your eagerness, but first we must have our music lesson,_" She nodded and not much later, they were finished with their music lessons. "_I'm sure you will do wonderfully Christine. Remember to think of only your music and keeping an eye on Ms. Annabelle, and you will have my blessing when you sing,_" She smiled, "Thank you Angel, I will do my best during tomorrow's performance!" she got up and left her dressing room.

The Opera Ghost, after making sure that Christine had left, let out a barrage of laughter, "It actually worked! I get to find out about the mysterious young lady through Christine and the maiden is also the niece of one of the new managers! She can be the perfect way to get some respect if they refuse to heed my instructions!" His triumphant cheering was cut short, when he realized he still had Mr. Buquet to deal with. "Oh well, if he doesn't resign after the farewell party…" He smiled cruelly, "No one, not even the beautiful maiden will be able to stop me…" He laughed maniacally to himself and went off into the night.


	6. Through Joseph Eyes

_**This chapter is a little... okay perhaps A LOT shorter than most of my chapters, but that is why it's a half chapter. That and the fact we are getting the story as the previous chapter but we are seeing it 'Through Jospeh's Eyes'... I think I was **_**very**_** clever with that title (fight meh if you disagree... pls don't... =.=') Anyways, I hope you enjoy, think of this as my 'Thank You' for your guy's appreciation for this story.**_

Joseph didn't know what was happening to him, one moment he was nearly killed by-... He didn't even want to think about _him_… and the next minute he was saved by a very pretty young lady, she was a little over ten years younger than him, and he noticed that she had a remarkable singing voice. However he couldn't be too sure because when he had heard her sing, he was nearly unconscious. She had heard him yell for help when he was almost at his final moments and he believed her yelling saved him from being strangled to death… He would be forever grateful to her, but first he wanted to get out of this Nightmare.

It took him a few minutes to recover enough to explain to her what he was doing down here between breaths,"I was checking on the stage to make sure that everything was ready for tomorrow's performance when I saw a glimpse of a very dark, black cape leaving the stage. I didn't recognize it, and thought it has belonged to one of our sponsors trying to get a peek of the show early, so I followed it," I was about to tell of the person when suddenly, they were gone. It seemed that they had disappeared under the stage, which I knew was forbidden to all the cast members, and especially to somebody who didn't work here… I followed the person down into the hallways when I heard a loud tell that seemed to come everywhere, '_**GO NO FURTHER JOSEPH BUQUET! OR YOU SHALL MEET WITH DEATH ITSELF!**_'

I nearly fell over from the startle, but I answered back, 'Y-You have no right to be down here! Not even the staff are allowed!' The voice laughed, but it was more like the sound of nails on a chalkboard than a laugh. '_**You foolish man… I am above all of you puny workers, for I am the one TRULY in charge of this Opera House!**_' He spoke with such authority I almost believed him… but I knew that his voice sounded nothing like Mr. Debienne, Mr. Poligny, or either of the new managers… I got up the courage to answer him once again, 'You are not a manager of this Opera House, so how can you say that you are in charge?' The voice laughed again, '_**This is your final chance Joseph Buquet, or you shall face the wrath of the PHANTOM OF THE OPERA!**_"

I almost lost all of my courage just from hearing… _his_… name. I took a step backward reflexively, but I continued to stand my ground. I have heard many stories about the Opera Ghost before, but I wasn't too sure whether or not they were all true. I stood my ground and yelled, 'Phantom or not, you cannot be down here, I command you to leave at once!' I think of myself lucky for being able to evade the Phantom until you came, if you had come moment later…" He shuddered at the thought, "Perhaps we can leave this living nightmare now?" He asked with such eagerness that the maiden, who introduced herself as Annabelle, agreed and helped him to his feet.

With Annabelle supporting him, he managed to give directions to the nearest exit. When they had reached the top of the tunnel, he practically ran through the door wanting to rid himself of the memory of seeing the Opera Ghost and his near death experience. Not long after his liberation, he was surrounded by the whole cast of chorus girls and his assistant. He calmed everyone down and explained he was safe now, he then made an announcement, "I, Joseph Buquet, promise you this: After tomorrow's performance, I will resign as the Stage Manager of this Opera house!" This received many questions and exclamations, he waved these away and answered with, "What happened underneath the stage has made me rethink my life and what I shall do with it. I want to spend more time with my family and plan to do just that as soon as tomorrow's show is finished," he then wished them all goodnight and called to his assistant manager so that they could discuss how the Opera House would soon be in his care.

Just as he was passing Annabelle, he turned to her to give her his thanks, "Ms. Annabelle, I wanted to offer you my deepest gratitude for what you did for me… I can never repay you for saving my life…" he grabbed her hands and held them firmly as he spoke. She could feel his appreciation not only in his words, but I'm his actions as well. She smiled warmly, "I'm just happy that I was able to help you Mr. Buquet. I can't imagine what would have happened what if I hadn't been there to help..." "Neither can I Ms. Annabelle, I do hope we meet again," he let go of her hands and left with his assistant.

"I-Im glad that Mr. Buquet is alright…" muttered Meg. "I agree, Meg," Ms. Sorelli replied, "Hi I don't know how the Opera House will fair without him…" Cécike as in her own world now knowing that both Mr. Buquet and Annabelle were fine, she could go back to her bubbly self. "Would you like to see those kittens now Annabelle?" She hopped up and down in anticipation. Annabelle merely laughed, "Absolutely Cécile! But maybe we should stay away from the stage for now…"

The conversation trailed off as Cécile dragged Annabelle behind her, and Ms. Sorelli turned to Meg, "Shall we be going? I'm sure your mother is looking for you, and she'll get extremely cross with me if I don't let her know your okay," Meg nodded and followed her. 'That Annabelle is quite a funny girl,'she thought. 'She says she saved Me. Buquet's life from… _something_, and he admits to being saved. I have a bad feeling about all of this…' She didn't speak her mind though,she never did. She just kept it all inside so that one day when she needed it, she could speak her mind with a clear voice.

_**P.S.: Can you guys please leave a review? I really appreciate it... I want to know what I'm doing right and what you guys like from my story... I might give a shout out to whoever leaves a good review =w= (Is this abusing my power? I don't think so... I'm just, sweetening the deal for if you leave a review... Love you all! xoxo!) **_


	7. Box Number 5

The next afternoon, Annabelle came to the Opera house excited for the evening performance. She hadn't told her uncle anything, but she did say that she met some ballet girls and Mr. Buquet. She felt bad for not telling him about what she saw under the Opera House, but she was allowed to tell him _after_ the show. She really enjoyed spending time with Cécile yesterday, and it made her feel much better about her chances of making new acquaintances here. She left feeling significantly better knowing that she had at least one friend, perhaps she would get more… She walked into the building very excited, and made sure not to bump into anyone this time.

She waved hello to multiple people and even stopped to talk to a few janitors. She finally found the dressing room that she met all of the ballet and chorus girls, and knocked on the door. When Annabelle saw who opened the door, she was a bit surprised. She saw Meg behind the door who was slightly annoyed to be interrupted from cleaning the mess that all the other ladies left. Cécile was also with her picking up all of the paper rubbish and bottles of alcohol.

Annabelle waved at Meg embarrassed because she expected Sorrelli or Christine to welcome her, "Oh, hello Meg, how are you?" Meg was about to reply when Cécile notice who was at the door, "ANNABELLE!" She dropped all that she was holding, and ran over to give Annabelle a giant hug. Annabelle laughed as she was she was held tightly by Cécile, "Hello Cécile, how are you this morning…" she hugged the young lady back while smiling contentedly. "I'm fine Annabelle! Meg and I are cleaning up the room while everyone else is preparing for tonight's party,"

Annabelle felt embarrassed, 'Tonight is the farewell party! No wonder everyone was busy…' She finished hugging Cécile and asked, "Do you mind if I help you two clean up? This room will get clean quicker…" Cécile gave Annabelle a big smile, "Sure! As long as Meg agrees…" They both turned to Meg who was standing by the door, she was very uncomfortable at having the attention of both of them at the same time. She wasn't going to pass out like she did yesterday, but she still didn't feel too good. She didn't trust Annabelle fully, but if she said no to them then Cécile would not be too happy with her.

She sighed annoyed, "Alright, she can help…" Cécile was so happy that she jumped for joy and thanked Meg at least ten times, Annabelle replied with a nod and smile. They all worked together to pick up all the rubbish around the room, then they spent a few minutes conversing with each other and talking about the farewell party for the old managers. "So Meg, what are the old managers like?" Annabelle asked curiously. "Mr. Debienne was in charge of assigning the operas that we would perform and make sure that all the actors had a part to play in said operas. While Mr. Poligny was in charge of the business side of the opera house. He made sure the tickets got sold and manages all of the box seats, although he assigned my mother to be in charge of box five. To me, it is odd that he would have her look after that box, especially with all of the strange rumors about it…"

Her sentence trailed off as she got lost in her thoughts, Annabelle was about to ask what was so special about box five when Sorrelli burst in very agitated. "Meg! Cécile! The performance is going to start soon!" They jumped to their feet and ran to get ready, "I'm sorry to burst in on your conversation Annabelle. We want the managers to leave us with content hearts and minds…" Sorrelli looked apologetically at Annabelle, who merely smiled, "It is alright Ms. Sorrelli, I understand. I look forward to seeing you perform and perhaps I will be able to see you afterwards…" Her uncle asked her to stay with her during the festivities, she had agreed but she was a little sad that she wouldn't be able to talk to all her new friends as much. However, after they left, she would be able to tell her uncle about Mr. Buquet and lift the uneasiness from her mind. She waved goodbye to the girls and left to see her uncle and Mr. Firmin.

When she arrived to her uncle's office, she noticed that he was happily chatting with Mr. Rémy about the opera that was about to commence. "Hello Uncle, good afternoon Mr. Rémy. Are you both ready for the performance?" Her uncle looked up smiling at her while Mr. Rémy seemed surprised that she had even noticed him. "Hello Annabelle, I have been meaning to talk to you about the performance actually," He left a silent and stunned Mr. Rémy and brought her to a chair to sit, "My dear, it seems that we have a small problem concerning where you will watch the show. It seems that we have run out of audience seats and most of the box seats were purchased ahead of time…" Annabelle was on the verge of tears, she had been looking extremely forward to seeing the opera when her uncle first told her about it.

He laughed seeing her gloomy face and finished the rest of his sentence, "However, since we don't have any room in our box seat... I decided that you can watch the show from the best box seat in the house!" She looked at him confused, which caused him to burst into a barrage of laughter, "Uncle you're not very funny! I was very upset for a moment there!" She stood and glared at him, then noticed Rémy trying to hide his snickering from his post, he stopped immediately when he saw that Annabelle was watching him. "I guess I might've looked a little silly," she shook her head and smiled softly. "I'm sorry Annabelle, I really couldn't help myself," her uncle muttered as he stood up to give her a hug. She smiled and asked him, "Which box seat were you referring to Uncle?" He returned her smile and responded, "Box seat number 5, it has the best view of the stage and is perfect for an empress such as yourself,"

She stiffened, 'Meg said that there are a lot of rumors about that box... I don't know if it is a good idea to go inside it or not…" She then looked at her uncle's smiling face and didn't want to disappoint him by turning down his offer, "Alright, I'll go and see the show there. Thanks again Uncle…" She gave him one last hug and left to go find box seat number five.

The Phantom was in box five anxiously waiting to see Christine in the opera. He had… _persuaded_ the managers to cast her as Margaret while Carlotta was gone. Christine was now ready to surpass Carlotta with her singing and acting. He hated how "La Carlotta" didn't know how to act, and she still got the lead roles. He was in the middle of his thoughts when he heard some footsteps from the outside hallway. They seemed to get louder with each passing second, then they stopped right outside the door. _'I wonder who it could be, Madame Giry doesn't come until after the show..._' "I wonder if this is box five… It seems like it…" The Phantom gasped silently, '_It's… its _her-_ the girl! What is _she _doing here?_' His thoughts were cut short as the door started to creak open and he quickly found a place to hide before Annabelle walked in.

"Wow… This is a really nice box seat, it's a little dark in here though… Oh well, I won't mind as much when the show starts," She found a chair to sit in and eagerly awaited the start of the show. The Phantom didn't know how to feel about all this. '_I never allow anyone but Madame Giry to enter my box and if anyone does, they will never want to enter again!_ _However…_' He stared at her with undisguised awe, '_Perhaps… Just this once I will allow her to stay, besides, I shouldn't harm her after I told Christine to keep an eye on her…_' He sighed and found a place to rest, '_If anything it will be interesting to see her reactions to the opera, it's not everyday that you get to see someone react to the opera… Well actually anyone ever…_'

He shook the thought from his head, '_No matter, I am past the point of no return with this. If I leave she will notice and if I stay… well we will see what happens…_' Just then the curtain rose and the opera had begun. Annabelle really enjoyed the show and expressed her emotions very clearly, for she believed she was alone. She laughed at the right moments and shed a tear or two during the somber parts. Finally it was time for Christine's solo, She suppressed the urge to loudly cheer Christine on and whispered it instead. The Phantom was perhaps the only person in the opera who heard her cheer, and gave a small smile knowing that Annabelle truly cared about Christine.

Everyone was on the edge of their seats waiting to see what Christine had to offer with her singing, and they were not let down. Christine sang so beautifully that even the Phantom was impressed, '_She does sound very beautiful indeed, but this is her with months of practice with me. When he heard Annabelle sing, he could tell that she hadn't received much tutoring, but her singing was still magical._' Annabelle was astonished at Christine's singing, she had never heard anything so beautiful in her life. She wished that she could sing half as good as Christine, but more importantly, she wished she could sing at all… When Christine finished her song, she was one of the first people to applaud, but she was perhaps the loudest in her praise.

While everyone was applauding Christine for her stupendous solo, a certain man was also watching Christine from another box seat. This man was known as Viscount De Chagny, an elegant looking fellow named Raoul. He was a childhood friend of Christine and had lost touch with her after she left Sweden and moved to France with her now deceased father. He never thought that he would see her again, especially here at the Opera Populaire. He was surprised to see Christine singing, but he was also astonished at how much she had changed. She had grown to be a beautiful woman, and her voice… Raoul never knew that Christine had such talent for singing, even though she did sing when they were younger, her voice had grown to be almost as dazzling as her.

The performance finished shortly after Christine's solo, and Annabelle was still in awe. "I wish I could sing like her..." She sighed softly, then got up, "I should congratulate her on her solo! I'm sure I will get to see the others as well!" She is about to grab the door handle when she hears a voice from above, "_WAIT! Don't go__,_" She jumps back startled, but not frightened, "Who- who is there?" She looks all around the room but doesn't see anyone, "Hello? Is anyone here?" The Phantom cursed himself silently for being so reckless, but he quickly came up with a plan, "_Bonjour Mademoiselle, I'm sorry to have startled you. Did you enjoy the show?_" She stopped trying to find the voice and answered hesitantly, "I- I… Yes I did… Thank you…"

He smiled to himself, "_I'm glad you enjoyed staying in my box seat, I usually don't get any visitors because most people are afraid to even come near here,_" When she heard that the box seat that she was in belonged to someone, she started apologizing to the voice immediately, not hearing the rest of his sentence. "I'm so sorry Monsieur! I didn't know that this seat belonged to someone, I was just here to-" He cut her off, confused that she felt so guilty about being in his box seat, "_It is alright my dear. All that matters is that you enjoyed the show…_" She nodded slowly, getting over her embarrassment, "I suppose so Monsieur…" He thought to himself '_What a strange woman, a voice speaks to her from a strange room, and yet she decides not to question it. I had to first convince Christine that I was the Angel of Music of whom her father spoke of in her youth, but this one responds to me without hesitation… Should I ask her why…? No, perhaps another day._'

"_I heard you say that you wished to learn how to sing like Christine, am I correct?_" She made a curious face, "How do you know of Christine?" The Phantom groaned softly, '_I really need to learn how to keep my mouth shut… Oh well, I might as well continue,_' He quickly came up with a solution to both of his problems, "_It is because, my dear, I was the one who mentored Christine to sing as if she was an Angel herself…_" Annabelle was amazed, "You must be a wonderful teacher if you can teach someone to sing that beautifully… Could you…" She looked down embarrassed, "Nevermind, I should be going…"

She turned to leave, but The Phantom stopped her, "_Wait…_" She turned around once more, "_If you want me to teach you how to sing, I wouldn't mind taking another student,_" She was surprised by his comment, 'I didn't actually say what my question was, perhaps this person can read minds?... No that's silly… Almost as silly as me accepting his offer…'

She sighed, "While your offer is very tempting, I'm afraid I must decline. I would love to have you as a singing mentor, but…" She stopped herself, 'Do I trust this person enough to tell him the _real_ reason I don't sing?' She took a deep breath, "I have some… complications with singing... Besides," She smiled toward where the voice was coming from, unbeknownst to her, staring the Phantom almost directly in his face, "I can't take lessons from someone when I don't even know their name…" He was stunned, "_No one has ever asked what my name is…_" He answered softly, "..._erik… You can call me Monsieur Erik…__"_


	8. After the Performance

**Hello everyone! =w= I am so sorry for leaving you all on a cliff hanger for over 6 months! I cannot believe it has been that long since I have posted a new chapter, but I will do my best to continue the story as best as I can! Once again, sorry for the hiatus, I truly feel awful... =m= Anyways, hope you enjoy!**

Andre sat back down in his seat chuckling, "I hope she forgives me for teasing her, but her reactions are very humorous." Rémy laughed softly, "I will admit, when she was telling you off…" Andre smiled, "She'll get over it, especially after seeing the show. She always had a fascination with the theatre, and afterwards we will attend the farewell party for the previous managers."

Rémy nodded, 'I can only imagine her reaction to the show… I wonder if I could visit her?' He shook his head, 'I don't want to bother her, plus Mr. Andre invited me to watch the show with him and it would be rude to leave. Besides, I can visit her after the show.'

After the show was finished, Andre turned to Rémy, "Could you go fetch Anna for me? I need to meet Richard at the party. Rémy was surprised that Mr. Andre wanted him to accompany Anna to the party, but was determined not to show his surprise, "Of course Monsieur Andre, it will only take a few minutes." Andre smiled, "Thank you, Rémy. I really appreciate it."

Andre got up from his seat and left, meanwhile Rémy looked down from the box seat, 'There are still guests here…' He looked around the theater, 'We really are up high, probably at least 9 meters…' He backed away from the edge and looked back at the stage, 'Madame Christene was really lovely on the stage, but I wonder how Annabelle would be…'

He could almost imagine her in a beautiful dress singing to the audience in a clear confident voice, he blushed at the thought. 'What am I doing thinking such things? I need to go find Annabelle, hopefully she hasn't left yet…' He opened the door and looked to his left, and then to his right. He muttered to himself annoyed, "Where is box number 5?"

Annabelle tilted her head curious, "Monsieur… Erik?" She hadn't expected the voice's name to be so… Normal? She hadn't expected it to give her a name at all if she was being honest. Perhaps the voice was trustworthy afterall? Meanwhile Erik was silently cursing himself for letting a maiden he just met know his name. No one, not even Madame Giry knew his name… He had to regain control of the situation.

"_I have given you my name as a promise that I will stay true to my word. I can teach you how to sing if you will accept me as your mentor..._" Annabelle looked down at her feet conflicted, 'This… man was able to teach Christine to sing so beautifully… But I promised Nanna that I would refrain from singing, and she only wants what is best for me…' Erik could tell that she was intrigued by his offer, to be taught by the same person who could teach Christine to sing like an angel, it would be foolish not to accept if she desperately wanted to do the same. And yet, "_What makes you afraid to unlock your true potential?_"

Annabelle was frozen in shock 'How did he know? Am I as easy to read as a children's book?' She hugged her sides and looked toward the stage, "It's not that I have a fear of being seen by an audience or a fear of performing, it's just…" Her words faded into silence, she wasn't comfortable telling Monsieur Erik the **true** reason she didn't sing, at least not at the moment.

Erik could tell she wasn't able finish her thought and decided to ask her another time, "_I'm sorry for the pain this causes you, I will cease to discuss this topic if it causes you suffering…_" Annabelle looked up towards the voice, "I appreciate your concern, but-"

Erik heard the sound of footsteps coming towards the room, the didn't sound like Madame Giry. "_Are you expecting company?_" Erik asked suspiciously. Annabelle looked surprised, "I don't think so…" There was a knock on the door, "Miss Annabelle, it's me, Rémy. Your uncle sent me to escort you to the farewell party."

Annabelle felt like a fool, she had forgotten about the festivities again! She had been so absorbed in her conversation with Monsieur Erik that she had forgotten to join her uncle at the party. Hopefully she hadn't made him wait too long. She spoke loudly towards the door, "Just a second Monsieur Rémy, I will be out shortly…" She then looked back to the room, "How am I going to speak with you again Monsieur Erik?"

Erik was surprised to see that the maiden wanted to meet him again, even after initially declining his offer. Perhaps he would be able to convince her afterall? "_You needn't worry young maiden._" This earned some blushing from Annabelle, which made Erik smile, "_I will send you a letter to request the honor of meeting with you again._"

Annabelle's cheeks went pink, it wasn't fair that the voice could make her blush with so little effort, however there was nothing she could do. "I… I understand." Erik smiled triumphantly, "Until we meet again, Empress." Annabelle could feel the presence leave, 'Why did he call me Empress? Did he overhear Uncle Andre call me that?' She shook her head, 'The important thing is, I will be able to meet him again once I receive a letter.'

Her heart beat faster at the thought of talking to Monsieur Erik again, but she ignored the feeling and opened the door to see Monsieur Rémy waiting for her. "I'm so sorry to have kept you and Uncle waiting…" She muttered embarrassed. Rémy smiled, "It's alright Miss, I should've come sooner," He held out his arm smiling, "Shall we go?" Annabelle blushed slightly but took his arm anyway, "The sooner we arrive, the better." Rémy was slightly startled that she was willing to be escorted by him like this, he hoped she couldn't hear his heartbeat.

They started walking down the hallway when Rémy turned to Annabelle, "I forgot to ask you back there, who were you talking to? I didn't see anyone in the room besides yourself." Annabelle almost tripped over her dress in fear, how could she explain to Rémy, or anyone for that matter, about what happened in the box seat?

She smiled sweetly at him, "I'm sure you were just overhearing someone else's conversation, I was alone for the entire show." Rémy looked puzzled, but he didn't think pushing the matter would do anyone any good, so he shrugged and replied, "My mistake. I am sure it was just my imagination." Annabelle smiled and nodded, but secretly she was wondering if the whole interaction was just her imagination as well...


	9. Sorreli's Speech

It only took a few minutes to get down to the area where the festivities were being held, but there was already a considerably sized crowd. Annabelle knew she shouldn't be too surprised, they were very late. She didn't know how long she was in the box office, it felt like it had been hours. She let go of Rémy's arm, "Thank you for escorting me Rémy, I really appreciate it," Rémy smiled at her, "It was no trouble at all, Ms. Annabelle," She smiled back at him and went to go look for her uncle.

While searching, she bumped into Little Jammes and Meg who were looking for Christine to congratulate her on her spectacular performance. Jammes smiled brightly at Annabelle, "Did you see how beautiful Christine was on stage!", she gushed. Annabelle laughed and nodded, "She was quite extraordinary! I didn't know she could sing that well," she paused and smiled at Meg, "I also saw you 3 in the ensemble! I was quite impressed at how well you danced!" Meg went a bit pink in the face and looked at the floor. She had always been told that she danced like a calf, so for someone to give her a genuine compliment on her dancing, it made her feel less ungainly.

Jammes decided to speak for Meg, for she knew it'd take some time for her to comprehend Annabelle's sentence, "We practiced so hard, it felt like our feet would bleed! The instructors are very harsh, but they do mean well." Annabelle nodded, "They surely are incredible teachers if they can manage to teach such a vast majority of people…" She then smiled and winked at Jammes, "Then again, it also takes brilliant students to be able to achieve such a stirring performance!" Jammes laughed, "You are such a charmer, Annabelle!" Annabelle smiled innocently and gave and over-exaggerated curtsy, "Why thank you Madame Jammes,"

Annabelle and Jammes had a good laugh, when Meg interrupted them, "I don't mean to be a bother, but I do believe that Sorelli is about to give her speech…" She then pointed to a nervous, but calm Madame Sorelli who was about to give a speech to the expectant crowd. Sorrelli took a deep breath and started her farewell speech to the old managers, and her welcome speech for the new ones.

Meanwhile, a masked and shadowy figure stood idly in the crowd, waiting for the dinner to begin so he could… _chat_ with the new managers. He needed to keep face with them if he wanted them to show him the proper fear and respect he deserved. He gazed around the room unamused, '_The majority of these people are pompous aristocrats wanting to uphold their status as nobles. Hardly any of them appreciate the true talent of __**my**__ Christine…_' He then saw the beautiful maiden, Annabelle, and his heart skipped a beat. He couldn't fully see her while in the booth, but now that she was in the full light, she was breathtaking! Her teal colored eyes were entirely focused on the ginger haired woman who was giving the speech, and her cream colored face shone like the moon on a clear night. '_How is it that a maiden can be so beautiful? When I called her an Empress I was just trying to flatter her, I didn't know that her beauty surpassed all of the Queens of France…_'

In the middle of Sorreli's speech, Annabelle felt that she was being watched by someone, which was silly for she was in a crowd and everyone would be focusing on Madame Sorrelli. The feeling however, did not fade and she decided to see if she truly was being watched. She discreetly looked through the crowd to see that most of the guests were watching Sorrelli give her speech, as she guessed. But then she noticed one man, he was dressed from head to toe in black, with the only things of any differing color being the white shirt he wore under his dark vest, and the mask he wore on his face. She tilted her head curiously, he was the only person here who wore a face covering, but she assumed he was a secret sponsor for one of the main actresses, perhaps La Carlotta?

She turned to Meg and Jammes and quietly whispered, "Do you recognize the man standing over there?" and pointed to the figure cloaked in black. They both turned in the direction Annabelle pointed. Meg inhaled sharply and seemed very faint, while Jammes went white with fear and screamed with a shaking finger, "IT'S THE OPERA GHOST!" Everyone turned their attention to little Jammes, trying to see what the commotion was, while Erik silently cursed himself for letting himself be seen and disappeared into the crowd. Sorrelli looked conflicted, furious that her speech was interrupted, frightened from Jammes' outburst of the unspoken phantom, and the anxiety of trying to assure the crowd that everything was alright.

Annabelle, however, was extremely confused and concerned for the well being of Jammes, for she was violently shaking with fear and could barely stand. Meg was trying to regain her composure and tried her best to help Annabelle lead Jammes to an empty chair. "I-It's all… Alright Cécile… You- You're safe…" Meg seemed just as rattled as Jammes, but was trying to hold it together for Cécile's sake. Annabelle got Jammes a glass of water from the table to help calm her nerves. Meg paced back and forth trying to steady her own nerves, while consoling herself and Jammes.

Once Annabelle knew that Jammes was going to be okay, she turned to the still pacing Meg and asked her, "Who _was_ that man that gave you two such a fright?" She recalled Jammes calling the man 'The Opera Ghost', but surely ghosts didn't exist. Plus, he clearly was standing over- She looked through the crowd, but to her surprise, the masked figure was no longer in sight. She found this very peculiar, very peculiar indeed…

Meg shook her head silently and had a seat next to Jammes. "We…" She held Jammes' head in her lap, "We aren't allowed to speak of… _it_… And we wouldn't even if we could… Perhaps we can shed some light on the morrow?" Annabelle was quiet, 'Why is everyone afraid to speak of the Opera Ghost? Was there a taboo around this person of mystery?' Annabelle was about to respond when Uncle Andre strolled over, "I'm sorry if I'm cutting in, but we must go Annabelle. Our guests await us." Annabelle turned to Meg apologetically, "I shall see you two tomorrow, please enjoy the party…"

Meg nodded and whispered a farewell, while Annabelle was led by her Uncle to where the dinner party was being held.


	10. The Manager's Warning

There weren't too many people, but it was a considerably sized group. Anna recognized Monsieur Firmin, who was sitting at the head of the table with two tired but smiling men. Andre pulled a seat for Annabelle, who politely thanked him and sat. After she was seated he sat on Firmin's right, who was at the head of the table. Annabelle was on her Uncle's right, with her right side vacant. She didn't mind sitting next to Uncle, it made her feel better knowing that she was next to someone she knew. She assumed that the rest of the guests were Patrons of the theater, and that the two tired looking men were the old managers.

Monsieur Firmin then stood up with a glass full of champagne, "First off, I would like to thank you all for coming to this fantastic Farewell ceremony! It was wonderful to meet you all," He then gave a smile as the guests politely clapped. He then continued, "But I also want to thank our previous managers for keeping the Opera Populaire in such good condition. I promise you, that with the help of my assistant manager," He motioned to Monsieur Andre who gave a smile nod. Monsieur Firmin continued, Annabelle however, noticed that her Uncle's smile was a tad bit forced.

Monsieur Firmin raised his glass high, "Here's to running the best Opera House in all of France!" The whole table lifted a glass and said in union, "To the Opera Populaire!" Everyone then took a sip of their champagne, except for Annabelle, who put her glass down and asked for a glass of water instead to the confusion of most of the guests. The waiter looked at Uncle Andre confused, but he just nodded to get what she requested. The waiter took her glass and left, leaving Annabelle to sit quietly to herself.

Most of the guests were chatting amongst themselves and started eating the dinner prepared for them. Annabelle was quietly eating and kept to herself, so it made sense that she didn't notice when the masked figure came and sat down next to her. The waiter came back with Annabelle's drink, and then turned to the masked gentleman to ask if he wanted a drink as well. This caused Annabelle to turn to her right, causing her to gasp and exclaim, "You are the Opera Ghost!"

The whole table turned to the mysterious masked man, and some people even offered him a drink. Annabelle stared at him curiously, he actually looked a tad bit handsome up close, and she felt her cheeks go slightly pink at the thought. Then the man spoke, "**Did you know, Joseph Buquet almost died, and recently quit?**" His voice silenced the whole room in only a second, for it was unnatural to say the least. The previous managers however, were more concerned with what the man was saying than how he sounded.

"Monsieur Buquet quit!" one of the previous managers exclaimed, "He almost died?" the other one choked in disbelief. They both turned white with fear and looked at each other in a dreadful way. Annabelle went silent, she promised she wouldn't tell a soul what had happened until _after_ the festivities, but apparently word travels quickly in the opera house. Firmin however, had a hearty laugh thinking that this was schemed by the ex-managers for them. The guests, relieved from the dissipation of the tension from the words before chuckled with him. Annabelle gave him a stern look before standing and saying to him, "It's true Monsieur Firmin! I was the one who found him!"

Silence seized the table, and Annabelle found that she was under the weight of several pairs of judging eyes. She slightly fidgeted and sat back down in her seat, looking ashamed of her little outburst. Her Uncle looked over at her worried, he knew that Annabelle would never lie about such a thing, regardless, he asked quietly, "Are you sure Annabelle?" She looked up at him with pleading eyes, "I promise you, if you ask any of the chorus and ballet girls, they will vouch for my honesty!" This caused the table to be littered with concerned murmurs and accusations, which caused one of the managers to stand, "Monsieurs, may we have a word with you in our old office?"

All the managers stood up and were starting to head to the office, when one of the old managers got Annabelle's attention, "Mademoiselle? Perhaps you should come along as well…" Annabelle was surprised to say the least, but she got up minding her right side so she didn't bump the other guest- She then realized the masked man had disappeared once more, 'Peculiar, and more peculiar!' she thought to herself as she followed the ex-manager into her Uncle's office.

Once inside the office, Monsieur Firmin demanded that Rémy shut and lock the door so outside ears wouldn't be able to hear what was being said. He gave a quick nod to Annablle who smiled softly in return, as he locked the door. Firmin turned to the ex managers and asked, "What in the Deuce is all this **nonsense** about an Opera Ghost?! And why do you look as if I have summoned the devil when I speak of this mysterious phantom?" The reason for his 2nd question came because ex-managers Debienne and Poligny went pale at the words 'Opera Ghost'.

Annabelle simply sat and listened, not wanting to interrupt the fuming Fimrin, who just wanted a simple first night being the manager of the Opera Populaire. Monsieur Debbine and Poligny looked at each other uneasily, as if they knew what they would tell the new managers would not be easily believed. Poligny sighed and went to his old desk and grabbed a copy of the memorandum-book, which had some bookmarks in several places. Annabelle curiously looked at the book, she could tell that there was something off about it, but she didn't know what it could possibly be.

"I hope you both know that this book is the guidelines for what must be done at the Opera house, and that the rights of the Opera House can be taken away if you don't follow the conditions of this book," Firmin and Andre nodded. Debbine motioned to Poligny who opened the book and went to the first bookmarked page. At first glance it seemed like any other memorandum, but then Annabelle saw something that made her shiver. There at the bottom of the page was a paragraph written in red ink, reminding her of the color of blood. Debinne looked at the new managers and spoke word for word of the paragraph, as if he could never forget what it said, "_Or if the manager, in any month, delay for more than a fortnight the payment of the allowance which he shall make to the Opera ghost, an allowance of twenty thousand francs a month, say two hundred and forty thousand francs a year_."

Annabelle looked at the ex manager in surprise, '240,000 francs a year? That was so much money to be required of her uncle and Monsieur Firmin!' Andre took a step back in surprise, "You must be joking!" Firmin pounded his fist on the table, "This is an outrage! Are there any more egregious conditions?" Poligny silently went to the next bookmark, and read aloud, "Box Five on the grand tier shall be placed at the disposal of the Opera ghost for every performance." Annabelle gasped in realization, 'Box Five is the Opera Ghost's box? No wonder everyone was so scared of it! So the man that sat next to her must have been the voice she heard!' Her skin went pale and she sat down wearily, 'This Opera Ghost must have done some truly gruesome thing in order to be feared by the Opera house, so how had she managed to escape his wrath?'

Rémy hurried over concerned, Uncle Andre looked at her anxiously. She waved at him and gave a reassuring smile to let him know she was alright, she wanted her Uncle to focus on the task at hand instead of her. Uncle Andre still looked worried, but went back to the business concerning the so-called 'Opera Ghost'. Firmin yelled at Poligny in frustration and confusion, "First this phantom wants twenty-four thousand francs a year, and now you're telling me it wants our most expensive box to itself!" Debinne and Poligny nodded silently, much to Firmin's displeasure. Then Andre spoke curiously, "Have you ever tried to arrest this man? Surely someone who causes this much annoyance would be deserving a life sentence in prison…"

Debienne and Poligny smiled weakly, "How can you arrest a man you don't normally see? Tonight was the first time that we've met him," Debinne answered. Poligny added, "We have tried on several occasions to try to capture him, but have failed and suffered the consequences. I advise you not to make the same mistakes as us, and heed unto our advice. You must always heed to his wishes, or disaster will surely follow…" He said this in such a serious and knowledgeable tone, that Annabelle fully believed him. Firmin on the other hand, did not.

"I will not be chastised by two weak, superstitious men on the night of my triumph. We will consider your admonition, but I refuse to believe that this… PHANTOM exists!" Andre put his hand on his partner's shoulder, "Firmin, please. Control your temper, it's unbecoming for a manager to be so reckless…" Firmin took a deep breath in, and apologized to the ex-managers for his behavior, "I blame the excitement and the stress of the situation for my attitude. I bid you two a pleasant evening and a prosperous life." Annabelle sensed that this was his way of letting the ex-managers know that their stay was no longer needed, and they seemed to as well.

"In that case, we will leave this copy for you two to have." Debinne replied, then he nodded to Andre and Annabelle and left. Poligny gave a curt nod to Andre then walked over to Annabelle. She held out her hand to shake his farewell, when he held hers in both of his hands, "If you value your life Mademoiselle, please heed unto our warnings, and try to convince them to as well…" He stared at her with tired and pleading eyes, she wondered if he was warning her because he didn't want any more accidents or if he couldn't live with the guilt of more innocent lives getting hurt. She gave a reassuring smile and replied, "I promise I will Monsieur. You have my word," He let out a sigh of relief and muttered a "Thank you," He let go of her hand and left the office.


	11. The Mysterious Note

**I am so so sorry that I haven't been consistent with my writing! I have these things called "Lack of inspiration" and "I have the memory of a goldfish". I know these are dumb excuses for why I'm keeping you all on a cliffhanger, and I can't say how sorry I am to keep you waiting. I hate it when authors do that, but I can't complain too much because I know how they feel and I do it myself a lot… Anyway, I hope you all are having a great day, and please stay safe during these troublesome times! 3**

As soon as they were gone, Firmin fell into his seat with a thud, "Blasted, superstitious gentlemen. They have got my nerves all riled up for what? A hooligan in a mask who thinks he can get his way with a few empty threats…" Annabelle pursed her lips in thought, 'Clearly, Monsieur Firmin doesn't believe in the Opera Ghost. But the ex-managers did… Why? What happened during their time here that made them so afraid of this… man?... Was he even a man? Perhaps not…'

While Annabelle was lost in thought, Rémy asked her concerned, "Are you alright?" Annabelle quickly snapped back into reality and laughed embarrassed, "Sorry, I was just thinking… I can assure you I'm fine, Rémy," she gave him a thankful smile. She thought it was sweet that Rémy was worried about her, but perhaps he just wanted to be seen in a positive light by her uncle? She doubted that he was that kind of person though, it just didn't seem like him.

Rémy nodded and asked, "Would you like a glass of water to help you calm down?" Annabelle smiled, "That would be wonderful, thank you Rémy," Her smile was so genuine that Rémy felt his heart start to pound, 'Out of all the ladies I've met, she is the sweetest and kindest woman I've ever met.' He then left the room to go get Annabelle some water, while Andre looked through the book to see the mysterious red writing. "I can barely read this handwriting… I don't know how the previous managers could memorize this if I can barely understand the manuscript," Anna got up and walked over to look at the book once more, "It reminds me of a child trying to be fancy with their writing, Uncle…" He nodded and glanced at Firmin warily, "I think you should go home for tonight Annabelle… It's been a long day…"

She was about to argue when she noticed how infuriated Monsieur Firmin was and thought it best to leave. "Alright, I will see you at home, Uncle. Have a pleasant night Monsieur Firmin," And with that, she left the office. She found her way to the front of the Opera House and took a deep breath, 'Tonight _has_ been rather strange,' she thought to herself as she waited for a cabby to come so she could go home. She rubbed her arms trying to warm herself up, "I wish I had long sleeves…" she muttered to herself quietly, when all of a sudden, she heard a middle-aged woman calling her name, "Excuse me! Are you Annabelle? The niece of the new Assistant Manager?"

She turned around confused to see a proud-looking lady coming down the steps towards her. She ran to the woman for she was half afraid she'd slip and fall, "Yes, yes that's me!" The woman smiled and gave her a knowing smile, "I suspected so, not very many girls have eyes like Aquamarine such as yourself…" Annabelle blushed, "Thank you Madame…" The woman nodded, "Madame Giry. I am the Box Keeper of this establishment," Annabelle tilted curiously, 'She looks like she's been here for several years, no wonder she is filled with confidence,' she then reached out to shake her hand, "It's wonderful to meet you Madame Giry,"

Madame Giry smiled as she shook her hand, "The pleasure is all mine dearie. Oh!" She reached into her dress pocket and pulled out a folded note, "I found this while cleaning Box 5, it's for you…" Annabelle froze and paled a bit, she still didn't know the full reason why most of the staff feared box 5, but Madame Giry spoke of it as if it was commonplace to find mysterious letters in forbidden box seats, "You… Are _allowed_ to go into Box 5?" She asked, curiosity overcoming her fear, "Why of course! I would hardly deserve the title of Box Keeper if I wasn't allowed in the box seats," she answered with a chuckle.

Annabelle realized how silly her question sounded, but she continued to ask, "I thought Box 5 was forbidden for anyone to enter?" Madame Giry nodded wisely, "Only a select few are allowed to enter the Phantom's box. However, from time to time he allows people to go in. I am one of those people, someone has to keep the place clean," She started laughing at her joke, causing Annabelle to feel somewhat relieved. "Well, it was wonderful to meet you, Annabelle, I look forward to seeing you tomorrow…" Annabelle nodded and gave her best attempt at a smile, "Likewise Madame Giry," she felt bad lying to her, but she was utterly terrified of this man who had the power to kill her, but didn't for reasons she was unsure of. Madame Giry went back inside, leaving Annabelle to herself once more. She looked at the note anxiously, but before she could open it a cabby pulled up to the front of the Opera House.

She waved her arm at him, "Excuse me!" she yelled towards him, trying not to trip as she ran. She told the cabby man the address and went inside the cab. She stared out the window, the empty streets were both calming and eerie. She stared at the note and took a deep breath, 'It's just a letter, Annabelle, it's just a note... She unfolded it and began to read, "Dearest maiden Annabelle. It was a pleasure to finally meet you tonight after I first saw you save that oaf Buquet I've been _dying_ to speak with you…" She shuddered at the reference to Monsieur Buquet almost dying, but she kept reading, "It's a shame that business got in the way of our conversation, but I must remind everyone who is _really_ in charge in this opera house… No matter, I will be able to see you tomorrow in my Box Seat around noon. I will warn you however if you fail to come, I doubt that the assistant manager will be able to _assist anyone_ tomorrow… With warm regards, Erik, the Opera Ghost."

Annabelle put the letter down next to her, the red words pierced into her mind, I to speak with me? Uncle will not be able to _assist_ anyone? Why oh why did she have such rotten luck…' She hugged herself tightly, refusing to let tears fall. She needed to be strong and level headed, just like Nanna. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves, "I guess I am going to meet with the Opera Ghost tomorrow…" she muttered to herself quietly. After a few minutes, they finally arrived at her Uncle's home. Annabelle got out of the cab and thanked the driver as she paid him her fee, then she went inside. Once she got to her room, she changed into her sleepwear and wearily got into bed, "I wonder what… Erik… wants of me…" she muttered to herself as she drifted off to an uneasy sleep.


End file.
